This recording looks to both the past and present for inspiration and material, the intention being to make music which combines craft with creativity and always in the true spirit of improvisation and beauty. It is a collaboration with two of Australia’s finest musicians. Tony Gould brings to this recording an immense sense of beauty in music. Like Gould, David Jones’ attitude and deep sensitivity, as well as his mastery of an astonishing array of instruments is inspirational. Just a few descriptive words spoken before we begin is all that is needed to invent new things. The recording studio became a place of instant composition, and consequently listeners may easily imagine why the three of us regard the art of improvisation as one of the great joys of music-making. The Move recording studio is surrounded by stunning tall trees, and a wonderful natural acoustic – hence the title – Under the Tall Trees. Imogen Manins 2 3 1 The River Meets the Sea 3’54 4 Emmanuel 3’55 Manins/Gould/Jones Michel Colombier This piece initially drew its inspiration from cityscapes, sights and sounds rather than natural I was introduced to this piece by the great saxophonist Graeme Lyall, who has, on occasion, environments. Sitting together with Tony and David, we first worked with the ostinato figure played this hauntingly beautiful tune with Tony. that is heard towards the end of this track. Our discussions led us to a general idea of what 5 Queen of Sydney 8’43 road to take in this spontaneous improvisation. Paul McCandless 2 Under the Tall Trees 3’55 Queen of Sydney was written by oboist Paul McCandless and can be heard on the album Manins/Gould/Jones Crossing (1985) by Oregon, the ensemble of four extraordinary musicians who have, over the Under the Tall Trees was a real breakthrough in the way I hoped this trio would play together. years, brought a whole new dimension to the art of composition and improvisation. The aim was to play music which was melodic yet spontaneously improvised. Before beginning 6 Riviera Mountain 3’47 we sat quietly and thought of the enormous trees around us at the beautiful Move recording John Sangster studio – of birds, trees, great expanses and dense bush. Tony's great friend and mentor – vibraphonist, percussionist and composer John Sangster – 3 Kashmir Remembered 5’12 died in 1995. Many regarded him as a musical genius, and his legacy lives on through those Tony Gould who knew and played with him. In the early 1980s, Tony and wonderful Australian trumpeter Keith Hounslow gave 7 Lullaby for Iluka 2’08 performances throughout India, and in Kashmir, Sri Lanka and Singapore. Some sense of David Ward-Steinman Tony’s experience is captured in this beautiful, reflective piece. Lullaby for Iluka is a fully pre-composed piece for cello and piano by our great friend, the eminent American composer and pianist David Ward-Steinman. It is named for my beautiful daughter, Iluka Annie Gould. 4 5 8 To the River 4’31 11 Morse 4’31 trad. Armenian Manins/Gould/Jones Producer/guitarist Michael Brook and duduk player Djivan Gasparyan collaborated on the Morse is an example of three musicians listening to one another carefully to create a 1998 album Black Rock where I first heard this beautiful traditional Armenian piece. David melodic, spontaneous improvisation. and I overdubbed various parts to create this track. 12 The Bowl 4’19 9 Old 4’06 Manins/Jones Imogen Manins A solo improvisation against the drone of David’s stunning, large crystal bowl. After writing this piece (just eleven bars in length), I realised the influence of Ligeti’s solo 13 Canzone Popolare 6’14 cello sonata, a work where cellists can feel truly independent as a soloist. Manins/Gould/Jones 10 Tahdon 6’26 A spontaneous improvisation on a one-minute piece for solo piano by Italian composer Jukka Perko Ludovico Einaudi, based on a tune written c1500. A few years ago Finnish saxophonist Jukka Perko and his trio brought this piece to Australia. The influence of Scandinavian folk music appealed instantly. There is a wealth of music from that region which lends itself wonderfully to improvisation. 6 7 Imogen Manins cello Imogen Manins is an uncommonly gifted cellist, with a formidable grasp of the standard classical repertoire as well as a wonderfully creative and innovative musical mind. This has led her to collaborations with a number of Australia’s most outstanding improvisers, and an exploration of new musical ground for cello. With an Australian Postgraduate Award Imogen completed a Masters in Music Performance at the Victorian College of the Arts in 2002, studying with the distinguished cellist Nelson Cooke, and writing a thesis on Czech composer Bohuslav Martinu˚. Tony Gould piano Pianist and composer Tony Gould is one of Australia’s most respected musicians. For the past four decades he has been involved in an extraordinary number of recording projects both as pianist and composer, and has been at the forefront of music education in Australia via various tertiary institutions. His career has embraced many styles of music, including jazz and other improvisatory musics in addition to traditional and contemporary classical musics. Since resigning his position as Dean at the School of Music, Victorian College of the Arts he has pursued his career in performance and recording, composition and writing with the aid of an Australia Council Fellowship. In 2005 he was awarded the APRA / AMC Classical Music Award for Outstanding Contribution to Australian Music in Education and in 2007 was made a Member of the Order of Australia (AM) for service to the arts. David Jones percussion David Jones is often described as one of the most innovative and musical drummers in the world, a true virtuoso musician and a highly sensitive collaborator. His mesmerising solos can be dramatic, humorous, surprising, powerful, and at other times exquisitely delicate. David creates a universe of sounds, textures and rhythms that embrace different cultures, ages, moods and styles. He has toured nationally and internationally and has performed and recorded in many genres of music. 8 9 Executive Producers Robert Patterson, Martin Buzacott Recording Producer Imogen Manins Recording Engineer Vaughan McAlley Mastering Martin Wright Editorial and Production Manager Hilary Shrubb Publications Editor Natalie Shea Cover and Booklet Design Imagecorp Pty Ltd Cover Painting Olive Kiely Photography Mandy Hall, Imogen Manins Recorded 7, 8, 9 February 2007 at Move Records Studio, Melbourne, Australia. Special thanks to Martin Wright of Move records for his untiring and long time support of Australian music and musicians, and to the Australia Council for the Arts. Many thanks also to Jannette and Peter Manins for their help and support. www.imogenmanins.com www.tonygould.com www.davidjonesdrums.com.au ൿ 2008 Australian Broadcasting Corporation. 2008 Australian Broadcasting Corporation. Distributed in Australia and New Zealand by Universal Music Group, under exclusive licence. Made in Australia. All rights of the owner of copyright reserved. Any copying, renting, lending, diffusion, public performance or broadcast of this record without the authority of the copyright owner is prohibited. 10 11.